Statement of Community Involvement

Statement of Community Involvement (SCI)

One of the key objectives of the Breckland Statement of Community Involvement (SCI) is to help secure community ownership of future planning policy documents (emerging Local Plan) and to strengthen public involvement in the process of determining planning applications put before the District Council.

The Council's first SCI was adopted in 2006 and was prepared under previous planning regulations. In recognition of key changes to the legislation governing the preparation of planning policy, the Council has now revised its SCI. This has also enabled the SCI to reflect technological developments and improve the methods of communication used by the Council to engage with the local community.

To develop the SCI the Council invited your views during a public consultation in April/May 2013. Following this, the new SCI was adopted by Breckland Council on 4 July 2013 which supersedes the 2006 version.

Applicants are encouraged to review the contents of the SCI at an early stage and start to involve the community before they have submitted a planning application. It is expected that applicants will show that they have presented information about applicable planning policy and guidance and the effects of the proposed development in a balanced and factual manner. Early discussions with planning officers are also advised.